cruiser tires on a pre kat

[spookypegasus]

ok I am new to street bikes and have recently bought my first kat. it is a 1990 600. I do not take this bike to the track, it is for commuting and occasionally a joyride in the mountains. I am looking to replace the rear tire and I need some info because the local mechanics don't agree and none of them seem to make any sense.


I have purchased a shinko 712 150/70 to put on it, partly because it is cheap and partly because I Have had great experience with this tire on my Harley sportster. this tire is a cruiser tire


everything I have read and all the measurements I have taken, make me believe that there shouldn't be any issues but I have been told things like


"the beads on a street rim are different than a cruiser rim and wont fit a cruiser tire"
or
"the measurements for a cruiser tire are different than a street tire and the cruiser tire will be too tall."
and
"a cruiser tire is made for a heavier bike and will be sliding all over the road if I use a cruiser tire"


to me none of these things seem correct but I thought I should ask you guys.


my question is will this tire fit my bike, and will there be any issues if I use a cruiser tire?
I understand that there will be handling differences but will they make the bike unsafe?

[loneraider]

140/80-17 is your stock rear tire size, you can find one that's cheap
and safe to do your daily tours. Enough said!

[92xjunker]

Cruiser tires can handle the weight of a Kat. Tire profile will be flatter on a cruiser tire, not the tire the Kat was designed for. How much do you ride Conti motions are a great tire for the price.

[spookypegasus]

I am not looking for advice on a new tire. I am asking if there are safety issues with the tire I have. And since I have already rebuilt the carbs and the engine I'm not looking to sell the bike either.

[shpielers]

+1 cruiser tires are very flat, I'd be worried about handling being compromised. Even if you don't ride hard and mostly commute/tour long straight distances, you still have to turn once in a while. Shinko makes sport touring tires, if you like the brand, I'd aim for one if those instead. Shinko 009? Shinko raven? Names are something like that.

Would definitely not trust that type of tire on a kst for the twisties though. Sure your sportster can run that tire on those roads, but the bike is built completely differently. Lower center of gravity, totally different style suspension, different geomotry.

[spookypegasus]

[QUOTE=shpielers;2359039]+1 cruiser tires are very flat, I'd be worried about handling being compromised. Even if you don't ride hard and mostly commute/tour long straight distances, you still have to turn once in a while. Shinko makes sport touring tires, if you like the brand, I'd aim for one if those instead. Shinko 009? Shinko raven? Names are something like that.

Would definitely not trust that type of tire on a kst for the twisties though. Sure your sportster can run that tire on those roads, but the bike is built completely differently. Lower center of gravity, totally different style suspension, different geomotry.

Thank you for your post, this is the type of input that I was hoping for, however, if my understanding of physics is correct, the lower center of gravity and the type of suspension are actually designed to decrease the stress on the tire during cornering, which would mean that tire would be better on the kat than on the sportster? The issue would be the geometry and the fact that the kat can lean farther than the sportster.

[skjeflo]

Seems like you've already made up your mind despite asking the question.

Will that tire hold your bike up...sure.

Will the bike handle like is could or should...probably not.

Will that make the bike unsafe to ride...probably not, when things are running well and you have flat, straight open road.

Where it would get interesting (to put it mildly) is in the corners and during emergency maneuvers...NOT the time to find out how poor that tire is for a Kat.

The Conti's mentioned above are inexpensive, handle well and are safe. I know you don't want to spend the $$$, but when you compare the cost of proper tires vs hospital visits it's really no contest. Sell the old tire to a cruiser riding buddy and buy a nice matched set of sport or sport touring tires rated for the bikes weight...Conti's, Michelin's, Metzler's or even Shinko's.

[spookypegasus]

I haven't made up my mind yet but I was hoping to get more from this forum than opinions and vague theories. I guess I wasn't specific in the question but has anyone tried using cruiser tires? Does anyone know exactly the difference between the different types of tires? What is it that makes street tires so much better?

[shpielers]

Better profile that's more suited to the type of riding generally done on sport touring bike, and better grip. Cruiser tires are generally made out of harder material because of the profile and expected use. (Lots of long straight miles)

[steves]

You won't really be able to lean on that cruiser tire, and when you do it's going to feel like it's slipping, because it'll be slipping and not providing enough traction. You can get a high milage sport tire like a Pilot Road 2 that will give you long life and decent grip.

[kdo58]

cruiser tires = not going fast in corners, shinko 712 are great tires grip well and work great in the wet. but i would not use them on that bike, i would be using a radial tire. but that just me.

[skjeflo]

You post on an internet forum and don't expect to get opinions? Really?

Then there is this, from Motorcycle Superstore's website: "As motorcycle engines and chassis have advanced, so have tires. Traditionally, motorcycle tires were bias ply, which means the carcass was made up of body cords at an angle directionally. Flash forward to the present, and youÃÍl see a radial design in many tires, where plies are laid from bead to bead instead. This leads to many advantages:

Heat dissipation: Radial tires displace heat better, which increase longevity and improved wear
Sidewall Flexibility: By construction, radial tires sidewalls are not stiff as bias-ply tires. This allows the sidewalls to contour to the road better, improving surface area to the section or tread.

Bias-ply tires are still sticking around, but for good reason. Due to the stiffer sidewalls, bias-ply tires come standard on many heavy cruisers and touring bikes. The lack of flex works well for bikes designed to carry passengers and/or luggage."

Last I checked the Kat, while heavy by today's standards, isn't exactly a loaded Harley or Goldwing.

[loneraider]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r66RQeK3T9k

cruiser vs sport tires.

[92xjunker]

I don't get it 5 don't use and you think it vague opinions.. Tire are made for each type bike. Sport, sport touring, touring, cruiser and dual sport for a reason. Sport= Peeked round profile, soft compound, excellent grip. sport touring= same profile but, slightly flatter, dual compound ( harder in the center, softer on the sides) = longer Milage, good cornering grip. Touring= same as sport touring but, harder compounds, great Milage good grip in corners, designed for two up riding. Cruiser = bias ply ( firm side walls) great load capacity, hard compounds threw out, flatter profile, high lean angle. Dual sport= a mix of on road and off road tread, more dirt bike profile.

[MotorBikeMike]

I don't get it 5 don't use and you think it vague opinions.. Tire are made for each type bike. Sport, sport touring, touring, cruiser and dual sport for a reason. Sport= Peeked round profile, soft compound, excellent grip. sport touring= same profile but, slightly flatter, dual compound ( harder in the center, softer on the sides) = longer Milage, good cornering grip. Touring= same as sport touring but, harder compounds, great Milage good grip in corners, designed for two up riding. Cruiser = bias ply ( firm side walls) great load capacity, hard compounds threw out, flatter profile, high lean angle. Dual sport= a mix of on road and off road tread, more dirt bike profile.

I was wondering what the all the different types meant as far as purpose went. Thanks for clearing it all up. Still learning and find all of this stuff very informative and entertaining.